Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has
endorsed the candidacy of Delaware Senate candidate Christine
O'Donnell.
O'Donnell tweeted on Thursday, “Just
got Gov. Palin's endorsement! Thank you for your prayers!”
The 41-year-old marketing consultant
received the endorsement as allegations of gay baiting began to
surface on the Internet.
In a video posted at Liberty.com, a
female newscaster praises O'Donnell, then suggests her September 14
GOP primary opponent, Rep. Mike Castle, is gay.
“Isn't Mike Castle cheating on his
wife with a man?” an unseen voice asks.
“That's the rumor,” the gleeful
newscaster responds.
While O'Donnell has denied any
involvement in the gay baiting, she has repeated the claim several
times while distancing herself from the controversy.
POLITICO.com reported that at least two
O'Donnell backers are involved with Liberty.com, including tea party
organizer Eric Odom, the group's founder.
The newly-formed conservative group
says it hopes to match or eclipse the influence of progressive group
MoveOn.org.
“We're looking to compete directly
with MoveOn.org,” Yakes Walker, a spokesman for the group, told
POLITICO.com. “We're looking to be a player for a long time. No
one else on the right is doing what we're doing.”
Last month, Palin
spoke to an anti-gay group in Pennsylvania, and she has
previously endorsed anti-gay Karen Handel in her bid to become
Georgia's next governor. Handel, who
recently said she would “absolutely” consider a bill that
prohibits gay and lesbian couples from adopting children, lost
her bid for the GOP nomination.
O'Donnell is best known for her
old-fashioned views about sex. For example, she has said that
masturbating is wrong, and that looking at pornography is equivalent
to cheating on your spouse.